Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will attract new entrants into the agricultural industry and what incentives are currently available for this purpose.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive recently announced that new entrants to agriculture - since 2002 and up until 2 November 2004 - shall have access to a National Reserve under the new Single Farm Payment Scheme. This will provide assistance, in the form of an allocation of entitlement from the reserve to receive Single Farm Payment, to those that have entered farming under the current support arrangements. No specific provision has been made for new entrants to farming after  2 November 2004, but the position will be reviewed at the end of 2005.

Agriculture

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to measure the economic impact on the income of farmers of the rising cost of fuel, fertiliser and other expenses.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive produces two annual estimates of farm income, Net Farm Income (NFI) for individual farm types and Total Income from Farming (TIFF) for the agricultural sector as a whole. Both sets of figures take account of the costs of fuel, fertiliser and general expenses incurred by farmers. Figures for previous years may be viewed on the Executive website: www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/agriculture . The next set of estimates will be published in January 2005.

Ambulance Service

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-6753 and S1W-26795 by Susan Deacon on 25 May 2000 and Malcolm Chisholm on 28 June 2002, how many ambulances and ambulance personnel operated in (a) Angus and (b) each NHS board area in each year since 2000.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is provided in the following tables:

  Table 1: Number of Ambulances and Ambulance Staff in Angus - Accident and Emergency

  

Station
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Staff
Vehicles


Arbroath
2
14.0
2
14.0
2
16.0
14.0
2


Brechin
2
8.0
3
12.0
3
13.0
12.0
3


Forfar
2
8.0
2
10.0
1
10.0
10.0
1


Monifieth
1
9.0
1
9.0
1
9.0
9.0
1


Montrose
2
8.0
2
8.0
1
9.0
8.0
1


Angus
9
47.0
10
53.0
8
57.0
53.0
8



  Note for Table 1: the numbers of staff is the staff establishment on front line vehicles (whole-time equivalents in each station).

  Table 2: Number of Ambulances and Ambulance Staff in Angus – Non-Emergency Service

  

Station
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff


Arbroath
2
3
2
3
2
4
2
4


Brechin
3
2.9
3
2.9
4
6
4
6.5


Forfar
2
2
3
2
2
3
2
3


Monifieth
1
2
1
2
1
2
1
2.8


Montrose
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0


Angus
9
10.9
10
10.9
9
15
9
16.3



  Note for Table 2: the numbers of staff is the staff establishment on patient transport vehicles (whole-time equivalents in each station). This table does not include information on the voluntary car service that is used by the ambulance service).

  Table 3: Number of Ambulances and Ambulance Staff by Health Board – Accident and Emergency

  

Health Board
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff


Argyll and Clyde
52
156
54
156
55
156
56
171


Ayrshire and Arran
33
143
35
142
35
137
36
152


Borders
18
87.5
18
87.5
18
87.5
17
86


Dumfries and Galloway
25
100
24
100
24
100
23
111


Fife 
24
110
24
110
24
110
25
122


Forth Valley 
15
64.5
15
64.5
14
64.5
13
77.7


Grampian
41
168
40
169
40
169
39
200.3


Greater Glasgow
59
240
60
264
60
262
61
281


Highland 
49
176.7
49
179.1
49
179.1
49
190.9


Lanarkshire
30
144.5
30
144.5
30
144.5
32
183


Lothian
43
197
45
201
46
201
48
224


Orkney
5
9
5
8.5
5
8.5
5
8.5


Shetland
8
7
8
7.5
8
7.5
8
7.5


Tayside
31
137
30
147
28
147
27
149


Western Isles
11
26.7
11
26.7
11
26.7
11
26.9


Scotland 
444
1,766.90
448
1,807.30
447
1,800.30
450
1,990.80



  Note for Table 3: the numbers of vehicles is the vehicle establishment available for use in each health board area. The numbers of staff is the staff establishment on front line vehicles (whole-time equivalents in each health board area).

  Table 4: Number of Ambulances and Ambulance Staff by Health Board – Non-Emergency Service

  

 
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


Health Board
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff
Vehicles
Staff


Argyll and Clyde
52
63.8
54
64.3
55
64.3
56
73.8


Ayrshire and Arran
41
57.8
41
58.8
41
58.8
41
58.8


Borders
16
22.8
17
25.5
17
25.5
19
25.3


Dumfries and Galloway
20
33.6
20
34.9
21
34.9
23
35.9


Fife 
38
52.8
39
58.1
39
58.1
41
61.1


Forth Valley 
24
36.8
24
40.8
24
40.8
26
40.8


Grampian
48
56.5
51
56.5
51
56.5
53
67.5


Greater Glasgow
66
119.4
69
134.4
71
134.4
74
137.9


Highland 
17
28
19
29
21
29
23
30


Lanarkshire
37
63.8
45
71
45
71
45
72


Lothian
59
75
62
80.8
65
78.8
68
96.1


Orkney
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0


Shetland
1
1.3
1
1.3
1
1.3
1
1.3


Tayside
45
63.8
45
69.6
46
69.6
48
68.9


Western Isles
1
2
1
2
2
2
2
2


Scotland 
465
677.4
488
727
499
725
520
771.4



  Note for Table 4: The numbers of vehicles is the vehicle establishment available for use in each health board. The numbers of staff is the staff establishment on patient transport vehicles (whole-time equivalents in each health board area). This table does not include information on the voluntary car service that is used by the ambulance service.

Ambulance Service

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the response times of ambulances despatched in each of the three emergency categories A, B and C in response to 999 calls in (a) Angus and (b) Tayside NHS board area for each year since 2000.

Mr Andy Kerr: The priority based dispatch system began in Tayside in September 2002 and there is therefore only one full year of data available – for 2003-04. The Scottish Ambulance Service is working towards a target of responding to 75% of all category A (life-threatening) calls within eight minutes by 2008. The target for category B calls (serious but not life-threatening) is to respond to 95% of calls within 14, 19 or 21 minutes, with the timings depending on the population density of the area. There is no single performance standard for category C calls as each case will be different. Some category C calls will require the call handler to provide advice to the caller, some are referred to NHS24 and some are given a "cold" response, where an ambulance attends the scene at a time agreed with the caller, but without the use of blue lights or sirens. The response times for category A and B calls in Angus and Tayside in 2003-04 are detailed in the table below:

  

 
Percentage of Category A (life-threatening) Calls Responded to Within 8 Minutes
Percentage of Category B (Serious but Not Life-Threatening) Calls Responded to Within 14/19/21 minutes


Angus
57.6%
95.8%


Tayside
61.7%
96.2%

Care of Elderly People

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many adults are estimated to provide informal care for elderly people.

Rhona Brankin: This precise information is not available. Several of the key components however are, and work is in hand to improve our understanding of the situation.

  Audit Scotland currently collect annual information on the number of community care assessments and the number of people receiving a community care service, including services and assessments for older people. This is published on the Audit Scotland website at:

  http://www.accounts-commision.gov.uk/performance/documents/2003Report/servicespdf/SW.pdf.

  From January 2005 local authorities are being required for the first time to record the numbers of carers’ assessments being carried out annually. This will identify carers looking after older people who have had their support needs formally assessed in the period concerned.

  Under our eCare programme we are working with local authorities and NHS boards to improve their IT based processes and the sharing of data collected by these agencies in relation to community care service users and their carers. One of the benefits of improved information sharing will be to bring information on users and carers closer together. This should enable us, over time, to establish a clearer picture of how many carers are looking after older people.

Carers

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of carers have had their needs assessed.

Rhona Brankin: Both the Executive and national carers’ organisations estimate that there are in the region of 600,000 carers in Scotland. From January 2005 local authorities are being requested for the first time to report on the number of carers’ assessments being carried out annually. This will provide a much clearer picture on the actual numbers of carers who have had their support needs formally assessed in the period concerned.

Carers

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of GPs keep a record of carers in their medical records.

Mr Andy Kerr: Information on the percentage of GPs who keep a record of carers in their medical records is not held centrally.

  Under the terms of the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract, GP practices will be financially rewarded under the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) for devising a procedure for the identification of carers, and a mechanism for referring carers for a social service assessment. This is the first year of the QOF and practices are currently discussing with NHS boards which services they are providing. Further information will not be available until the end of the first financial year of the new contract.

Central Heating

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the central heating installation programme with a view to extending it beyond 2006.

Malcolm Chisholm: In our spending proposals for 2005-08, Building a Better Scotland , we announced our target that by 2008 all pensioner households eligible for pension credit will meet the energy efficiency components of the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. We will announce the programmes that will deliver that target shortly.

Community Wardens

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have appointed community wardens under the initiatives for building strong, safe and attractive communities and when these appointments were made.

Hugh Henry: All 32 local authorities in Scotland will have appointed community wardens for schemes supported under our first round of funding to tackle antisocial behaviour by the end of November. The dates that appointments were made in each authority are shown in the table below. Further wardens supported under our second round of funding will be appointed in the next few months.

  

Local Authority
Date Appointed


Aberdeen City
June 


Aberdeenshire 
July


Angus 
May


Argyll and Bute 
October


Clackmannanshire 
June


Dumfries and Galloway 
May


Dundee City 
May


East Ayrshire 
July


East Dunbartonshire 
June


East Lothian 
October


East Renfrewshire 
June 


Edinburgh City 
April


Falkirk 
April


Fife 
August


Glasgow City 
June


Highland 
June


Inverclyde 
July


Midlothian 
September


Moray 
May


North Ayrshire 
May


North Lanarkshire 
August


Orkney 
July


Perth and Kinross 
May


Renfrewshire 
April


Scottish Borders 
October


Shetland Islands 
August


South Ayrshire 
June


South Lanarkshire 
August


Stirling 
November*


West Dunbartonshire 
April


West Lothian 
March


Western Isles
August



  Note: This chart shows the dates wardens supported under our first round of funding to tackle antisocial behaviour were first appointed in each area. In some cases, warden teams were recruited in stages and there would have been a further lead-in time for training, disclosure checks, etc before wardens were patrolling on the streets. *Expected appointment date.)

Concessionary Fares

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates local authorities have spent, or will spend, on concessionary fares from grant aided expenditure in (a) 2002-03, (b) 2003-04, (c) 2004-05 and (d) in each of the next three financial years.

Nicol Stephen: The information is set out in the flowing table.

  

Year
Expenditure/GAE Allocation


(a) 2002-03
£65.184 million


(b) 2003-04
£90.831 million


(c) 2004-05
£96.906 million


(d) 2005-06
£104.060 million



  Concessionary fares grant aided expenditure (GAE) figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are not yet finalised but will be made available during December 2004 as part of the local government settlement announcement.

Concessionary Fares

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-1613 and S2W-5113 by Nicol Stephen on 20 August 2003 and 27 January 2004 respectively, whether it now plans to extend and integrate the current provisions for concessionary travel locally and nationally to include rail and ferry journeys for elderly and disabled people in order to better enable choice in respect of what is most accessible or convenient locally and, if so, how it will do so.

Nicol Stephen: The position remains that the Executive’s priority for concessionary travel for older and disabled people is the introduction of a national free bus scheme.

Council Tax

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-12196 by Peter Peacock on 12 January 2001, what information it has with regard to the take-up of council tax benefit and what representations it is making to Her Majesty’s Government on the matter.

Mr Tom McCabe: There are over half a million households in Scotland currently receiving council tax benefit, representing almost one quarter of all households in the country. Over half of all recipients are pensioners, and one fifth are households that include a disabled person.

  Although this is a reserved issue, the Scottish Executive liaises with officials in the Department for Work and Pensions regarding council tax benefit issues.

Culture

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recruitment process was followed for the appointment of staff to the Cultural Commission’s secretariat; whether any of the posts were publicly advertised and, if so, which posts.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: The secretariat comprises two Scottish Executive secondees and two consultants. The Executive canvassed internally to fill the two secondment opportunities; none of the appointments was advertised externally. The Cultural Commission’s Chairman appointed consultants with the necessary mix of skills, who could rapidly take forward the requirements of the commission’s work plan.

Culture

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8237 by Mr Frank McAveety on 11 June 2004, whether the Cultural Commission’s budget has been confirmed and, if so, how much it will be and from which budget it will be allocated.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: I can confirm that the Cultural Commission’s budget has been set at £487,000. We expect to commit £400,000 of this from programme expenditure, and the remainder from the Executive’s Administration Budget.

Dentistry

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new guidance on the work and role of the General Dental Council will be laid before the Parliament for approval and, if so, when.

Mr Andy Kerr: The new guidance on the work and role of the General Dental Council (GDC) will be presented to the Parliament under The Dentists Act (Amendment) Order 2005. This Order amends The Dentists Act 1984. It is made under sections 60 and 62(4) of the Health Act 1999 and is commonly referred to as a Section 60 Order. The Dentists Act (Amendment) Order includes provisions on devolved subject matters as well as the regulation of professions that have previously been unregulated, therefore it must be passed through the Scottish Parliament in addition to Westminster. The consultation period on the proposals to reform the GDC closed on 30 October 2004. The responses received require consideration before progressing legislation.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to secure a sustainable future for the Tayside Domestic Abuse Initiative.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Tayside Domestic Abuse Initiative is one of 56 projects awarded funding by the Scottish Executive under the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund. That fund, and the Violence Against Women Service Development Fund, runs to March 2006. We are currently considering funding arrangements for this area of work post-2006.

Education

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to education authorities in respect of dealing with bullying.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive expects all education authorities to develop and implement an anti-bullying policy and for this to be reflected in school-level policies. Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education may look at schools’ policies and practices in relation to bullying within its school inspections.

  The report of the Discipline Task Group Better Behaviour – Better Learning also made 36 recommendations regarding the role of education authorities and schools in promoting positive behaviour. It recommended that all schools should have policies and procedures for the care, welfare and discipline of pupils and this would include bullying.

Environment

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lewis Peatlands are listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention and, if so, what the extent of the site is and under what criteria the site qualifies.

Lewis Macdonald: The Lewis Peatlands are listed as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention (Site code UK13028). The site is 58,984.23 ha in extent and advice from Scottish Natural Heritage is that it qualifies under the following criteria:

  Ramsar Criterion 1 A wetland should be considered internationally important if it contains a representative, rare, or unique example of a natural or near-natural wetland type found within the appropriate biogeographic region. 

  The site qualifies under Criterion 1 by supporting one of the largest and most intact known areas of blanket bog in the world. It includes extensive areas of ombrotrophic or rain-fed bog together with numerous, smaller areas where the peatland lies in depressions and is subject to a flow of water carrying nutrients dissolved from rock and mineral soil.

  Ramsar Criterion 2 A wetland should be considered internationally important if it supports vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities. 

  The site qualifies under Criterion 2 by supporting a number of rare species of wetland birds. There is a diverse population of breeding waterfowl including nationally important populations of red-throated diver Gavia stellata, black-throated diver Gavia artica, golden plover Pluvialis apricaria and greenshank Tringa nebularia.

  Ramsar Criterion 6  A wetland should be considered internationally important if it regularly supports 1% of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of waterbird. 

  The site qualifies under Criterion 6 by supporting an internationally important breeding population of dunlin Calidris alpina schinzii (3,400 pairs during the period 1994–96, 31% of the world population of the temperate schinzii race).

Environment

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of statements of government policy in relation to Ramsar sites under the Ramsar Convention in England and Wales and whether it intends to publish a similar statement in relation to Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is aware of all UK Government policy statements on the protection of Ramsar sites.

  The Scottish Executive issued Guidance on the EC Habitats and Birds Directives in June 2000. This Guidance states that it is Scottish Executive policy to apply the same level of protection for Ramsar sites as that afforded to designated Natura sites. This is in line with the statement of the Government’s policies for the protection and management of Ramsar sites in England by the then Minister of State for the Environment, Michael Meacher, in November 2000.

  No further statement is intended following the enactment of Section 38 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 which deals with Ramsar sites.

Environment

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to Ramsar sites under the Ramsar Convention that are not also Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

Lewis Macdonald: It is Scottish Executive policy that all Ramsar sites receive the same level of legal protection as areas that have been designated as Special Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive or candidate Special Areas of Conservation under the Habitats Directive.

Environment

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Environment Protection Agency last inspected the area around (a) Hunterston, (b) Torness, (c) Chapelcross and (d) Dounreay power station for radioactive contamination; what levels of contamination were identified, and what action was recommended.

Ross Finnie: This is a matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) which undertakes regular monitoring of radioactivity levels around nuclear sites. SEPA publishes the Radioactivity in Food and the Environment Report jointly with the Food Standards Agency (Scotland) on an annual basis. This has not indicated any cause for concern for either the environment or in terms of doses to the public as a result of contamination.

Environment

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the Lewis Peatlands Ramsar site overlaps with the (a) Lewis Peatlands candidate Special Area of Conservation and (b) Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area.

Lewis Macdonald: The Lewis Peatlands Ramsar site is identical to the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area in extent (58,984.23 ha) and boundary. The Lewis Peatlands candidate Special Area of Conservation is smaller (27,945.59 ha) and lies entirely within the Lewis Peatlands Ramsar site.

Environment

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms are in place to protect the peatland features of the Lewis Peatlands Ramsar site outside the boundary of the Lewis Peatlands candidate Special Area of Conservation.

Lewis Macdonald: Outside the candidate Special Area of Conservation the Ramsar site and its features are protected by designation as a Special Protection Area and the associated Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994.

Environment

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the procedure is for complying with Articles 3.1 and 3.2 of the Ramsar Convention in relation to Ramsar sites (a) which are also Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and (b) which are not SSSIs.

Lewis Macdonald: All Ramsar sites in Scotland are designated as Special Protection Areas or candidate Special Areas of Conservation under the EC Birds and Habitats Directives, except one which has been notified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

  Compliance with Article 3.1 and 3.2 of the Ramsar Convention is ensured through the procedures for designated Natura sites and Sites of Special Scientific Interest set out in The Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), and the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to protect urban green space from development.

Johann Lamont: The Scottish Executive has in place planning policy and advice designed to protect and enhance open spaces, for example National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 11: Sport, Recreation and Open Space . (Bib. number 1096)

  The Partnership Agreement commits us to setting minimum standards for open space in new developments. This work will feed into the forthcoming revision of planning policy on open space.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many green space areas have been (a) lost and (b) created since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Johann Lamont: This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Individual planning authorities may, however, be able to provide such information.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives it has put in place to enhance urban landscapes, as referred to in the Partnership Agreement.

Johann Lamont: Through its guidance and financial support the Executive is actively supporting the enhancement of the urban landscape. A range of initiatives, both in place and underway, will introduce a more effective system for improving conservation and design.

  Measures include but are not limited to; a forthcoming Planning Advice Note (PAN) on Conservation Areas, providing further advice to local authorities on the active management of conservation areas which aims to encourage authorities to manage change in conservation areas more effectively, and Historic Scotland’s proposals for a revised Historic Environment Grants scheme, to improve the system of grants in conservation areas and for the repair of historic buildings.

  The Executive believes that good design should be an integral part of how we build and regenerate our urban landscape. Following on from the Designing Places policy statement we have reinforced the importance of design as a material consideration in Scottish Planning Policy 1. We have also produced a new design based Planning Advice Note series. PAN 67 on housing quality and PAN 68 on Design statements will be joined by further PANs due to be published shortly. Next year, in support of the new body Architecture and Design Scotland, we will be launching a new Scottish Planning Policy Statement. Architecture and Design Scotland will become the country’s new "champion" for good design in the built environment. A key part of Architecture and Design Scotland’s work will be to demand excellence in development at all scales (from housing estates to major cultural buildings) and in all parts of the country.

Environment

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive which agency has responsibility to monitor, and regulatory powers to control, air emissions from road traffic at sites which lie in close proximity to residential properties.

Lewis Macdonald: All local authorities in Scotland have a duty under the Environment Act 1995 to review and assess air quality in their areas against the air quality objectives contained in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland .

  Local authorities use both modelling and monitoring methods to determine current and future pollutant concentrations in areas where there is a significant risk of exceeding an air quality objective. This includes areas in close proximity to roads and areas that lie outwith a 10m radius of a road.

  The Scottish Executive is also under a duty to monitor and assess air quality across Scotland. It has arrangements in place to monitor levels of a number of pollutants through a national network of air quality monitoring sites. The monitoring sites are situated at a variety of different locations in order to help assess both roadside and background levels of pollutants.

  Where road traffic is the source of poor air quality, local authorities have a wide range of powers to manage traffic on local roads which would allow them to improve and maintain local air quality. If high levels of pollutants are caused by motorways or trunk roads then the Scottish Executive would be responsible for managing traffic to help achieve the relevant air quality objectives.

Environment

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive which agency monitors air emissions from road traffic at sites where residential or business properties lie outwith a 10-metre radius of the sites.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the question S2W-12047 answered on 19 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) volume and (b) value was of fish caught in Scottish waters in each of the last three years.

Ross Finnie: The EC log book regulation requires fishermen to declare the amount of fish caught in each sea rectangle, and identify which zone of a rectangle in cases where the rectangle is split by third country waters, for example between EU and Norwegian waters.

  There is no requirement under the regulations to differentiate between Scottish and other UK waters.

  Therefore the volume and value of fish landed by UK vessels, plus any additional landings by foreign vessels into the UK, from an approximation of Scottish waters is shown in the table below.

  

Fish/Shellfish 
Year


2001
2002
2003


Fish

Live weight (tonnes)
386,537
377,913
348,515


Value £
231,583,073
231,483,033
199,337,430


Shellfish

Live weight (tonnes)
29,944
33,726
32,575


Value £
50,260,946
53,876,639
54,137,141


Total live weight (tonnes)
416,481
411,639
381,091


Total value £
281,844,019
285,359,672
253,474,570

Fisheries

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive who the representatives from Scotland will be at the inaugural meeting of the North Sea Regional Advisory Council on Fisheries, detailing which organisation they will represent.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish organisations listed below were represented at the North Sea Regional Advisory Council General Assembly on November 4 2004. Data Protection legislation prevents us from naming the individuals who represented these organisations:

  Scottish Fishermen’s Federation,

  Scottish Association of Fish Producers’ Organisations,

  Scottish Seafood Processors Federation,

  Scottish Whitefish Producers Association,

  Shetland Fishermen’s Association,

  Orkney Fisheries Association,

  Shetland Ocean Alliance – SHOAL,

  North Atlantic Fisheries College,

  Shetland Island Council,

  Highland Council,

  Aberdeenshire Council,

  Scottish Executive,

  Scottish Natural Heritage and

  Scottish Parliament.

Fisheries

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what nominations it has made for a place on the Executive Committee of the Regional Advisory Council for the North Sea.

Ross Finnie: The North Sea Regional Advisory Council is a stakeholder body, independent from government. Nominations for the Executive Committees of Regional Advisory Councils must come from within the stakeholders represented on the General Assembly of the Councils. The Scottish Executive has not, therefore, made any such nominations.

  Scottish fishing interests are represented on the Executive Committee of the North Sea Regional Advisory Council by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation. The Scottish Executive may participate in the meetings of the Executive Committee as an active observer.

Fisheries

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what countries have voting rights on the executive committee of the North Sea Regional Advisory Council and how many votes each country has.

Ross Finnie: The North Sea Regional Advisory Council (NSRAC) General Assembly put forward the organisations listed below to its Executive Committee on 4 November 2004. Each organisation with a seat on the Executive Committee will have one vote except for the Danmarks Fiskeriforening and the Stichting van de Nederlandse Visserij who will have two, to allow them equal voting rights with the UK and France who have two fishing organisations each on the committee.

  Fishing interests

  UK (Scotland): Scottish Fishermen’s Federation,

  UK: National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations,

  Denmark: Danmarks Fiskeriforening,

  Netherlands: Stichting van de Nederlandse Visserij,

  France : Comité National des Pêches Maritimes et des Elevages Marins,

  France : Union des Armateurs á la Pêche de France,

  Belgium: Rederscentrale,

  Germany: Deutscher Fischerei Verband,

  Sweden: Sveriges Fiskares Riksforbund,

  Spain : Federación Española de Organizaciones Pesqueras,

  Poland : Polish North Atlantic Producers Association,

  EU: European Organisation for Fish Traders,

  EU: European Association of Fishing Ports and Auctions, and

  EU: European Transport Worker’s Federation.

  Other interests

  Seas at Risk,

  World Wide Fund for Nature,

  BirdLife International,

  Federation of European Aquaculture Producers,

  European Anglers’ Alliance,

  North Sea Women’s Network, and

  European Fishing Tackle Trade Association.

  There remains a vacancy for consumer organisation on the Executive Committee of the North Sea RAC.

Flood Prevention

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to local authorities to assist in the development of flood alleviation schemes in the last year.

Lewis Macdonald: Funding of the development of flood prevention schemes is a matter for the local authorities concerned. The Executive does not allocate specific funding for the development of schemes. However, after a scheme has been confirmed by Scottish ministers and is progressing to the construction stage, grant funding may be available from the Executive to support the scheme, which may include funding for reasonable development costs.

  In addition to the £14.2 million already available for year 2004-05, the recent Spending Review provided a further £89 million, to support local authorities’ programme of flood prevention and coast protection schemes over the period 2005-08. These resources will be allocated as schemes are confirmed.

Flood Prevention

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of funding have been allocated to flood defence measures.

Lewis Macdonald: As an outcome of the recent Spending Review, £89 million is to be made available over the period 2005-08 to support the construction of local authorities’ confirmed flood prevention schemes or approved coast protection schemes. It is, however, for local authorities to come forward with suitable schemes to take up these resources.

Flood Prevention

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of funding have been allocated to flood alleviation measures.

Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities’ activities to reduce flood risk are carried out using powers available under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961. In providing resources in support of local authorities’ activities to reduce flood risk, the Executive does not differentiate between flood defence or flood alleviation measures. Consequently, I refer the member to my answer to her question S2W-12043 on 19 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Flood Prevention

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what flood defence measures (a) have been initiated since 1999 and (b) are planned for the next three years, broken down by local authority area.

Lewis Macdonald: It is for local authorities to determine what measures they will take under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961 to mitigate the flooding of non-agricultural land in their areas. Flood defence measures initiated by local authorities which led to flood prevention schemes being confirmed by Scottish ministers since 1999 are as follows:

  

Scheme
Authority


Fraser Road, Aberdeen
Aberdeen City Council


Over Burn Culvert, Inverurie
Aberdeenshire Council


Rothesay
Argyll and Bute Council


Portpatrick
Dumfries and Galloway Council


Crookedholm, Riccarton and Galston
East Ayrshire Council


River Kelvin
East Dunbartonshire Council


Dunfermline
Fife Council


Earnhill Road, Gourock
Inverclyde Council


Lhanbryde
Moray Council


Largs
North Ayrshire Council


Bridge of Earn
Perth and Kinross Council


Weem Village
Perth and Kinross Council


Earnbank, Bridge of Earn
Perth and Kinross Council


Milnathort
Perth and Kinross Council


Moredun Playing Field
Renfrewshire Council


Collier Street, Johnstone
Renfrewshire Council


River Gryfe, Crosslee
Renfrewshire Council


Mains Burn, Linlithgow
West Lothian Council



  Information on schemes planned by local authorities, but not fully developed or which have not been submitted to ministers for confirmation, is not held centrally.

Flood Prevention

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what flood alleviation measures (a) have been initiated since 1999 and (b) are planned for the next three years, broken down by local authority area.

Lewis Macdonald: Local authorities’ activities to reduce flood risk are carried out using powers available under the Flood Prevention (Scotland) Act 1961: the information we hold on flood prevention schemes does not differentiate between flood defence or flood alleviation measures. Consequently I refer the Member to my answer to her question S2W-12045 answered on 19 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Forestry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of grants it has paid for the growing of forestry and woodland, detailing the top 20 recipients and the amounts each received, in each of the last three years.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive currently administers two grant schemes for the growing of forestry and woodland. The Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme (SFGS), which replaced the Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) in 2003, is run by Forestry Commission Scotland. The Farmland Premium Scheme (FPS), which replaced the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS) in 2003, is run by the Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD).

  The level of grant paid by these schemes for each of the last three years is as follows:

  

Scheme
Year Paid, £ Million


2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


WGS/SFGS
£16.49
£13.96
£16.04


Farm Woodland Scheme
£05.00
£05.50
£06.20


Total Grant Paid
£21.49
£19.46
£22.24



  The amounts paid to the top 20 recipients for each scheme are shown below. These are shown separately as they are separate schemes.

  Amounts Paid to the Top 20 Recipients for WGS/SFGS

  

 
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


1
£398,983.90
£567,864.15
£474,815.82


2
£381,049.11
£338,813.50
£262,005.05


3
£267,893.42
£219,279.34
£210,583.81


4
£202,652.98
£216,393.98
£162,264.28


5
£191,617.67
£202,757.00
£153,691.50


6
£186,253.53
£184,490.51
£142,002.30


7
£152,105.00
£155,321.30
£141,742.44


8
£150,029.40
£152,430.41
£133,488.54


9
£149,537.89
£148,949.21
£119,424.85


10
£147,835.70
£127,304.50
£118,705.68


11
£140,817.18
£121,785.58
£112,441.53


12
£139,886.32
£119,033.85
£110,513.60


13
£139,390.40
£118,425.26
£108,338.88


14
£137,043.29
£110,056.86
£106,475.25


15
£135,080.65
£109,130.90
£105,730.65


16
£128,571.88
£108,633.00
£102,536.17


17
£127,778.53
£107,321.70
£101,942.03


18
£124,209.03
£100,970.51
£100,001.50


19
£116,731.50
£97,902.00
£96,726.60


20
£116,694.76
£94,890.39
£95,735.50



  Amounts Paid to the Top 20 Recipients for FWPS/FPS

  

 
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


1
£126,586.60
£130,921.60
£132,498.00


2
£117,448.00
£117,448.00
£119,222.00


3
£98,298.80
£60,618.60
£80,059.50


4
£43,801.60
£53,507.60
£58,496.80


5
£40,977.80
£43,834.00
£56,736.00


6
£35,736.80
£40,977.80
£50,159.40


7
£35,566.60
£26,408.80
£49,508.00


8
£30,879.00
£26,214.20
£41,379.00


9
£27,472.00
£25,448.20
£39,886.40


10
£26,214.20
£25,293.00
£37,588.00


11
£25,488.20
£25,072.00
£34,053.80


12
£24,086.40
£24,933.00
£29,333.20


13
£23,284.00
£24,087.40
£28,832.80


14
£23,238.60
£24,050.00
£28,751.40


15
£22,687.00
£23,238.60
£28,152.00


16
£22,214.00
£22,644.00
£26,673.80


17
£21,580.00
£22,475.00
£26,169.00


18
£21,348.00
£21,348.00
£25,171.00


19
£20,952.00
£20,936,60
£23,904.00


20
£21,916.00
£20,916.00
£23,712.00

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10247 by Malcolm Chisholm of 23 September 2004 and with reference to Bib. number 33792, whether it will provide details of these emergency readmissions, broken down by age group.

Mr Andy Kerr: The following tables show the number of emergency readmissions for surgical and medical specialties, broken down by age group:

  28-Day Readmission Rate Following Discharge from a Surgical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital; 1999-2003

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


0-14 years
Discharges
48,538
44,555
41,160
40,411
37,911


Emergency readmissions
1,583
1,441
1,406
1,403
1,353


Rate (%)
3.3
3.2
3.4
3.5
3.6


15 -24 years
Discharges
49,081
47,277
46,255
44,353
43,104


Emergency readmissions
2,128
2,132
2,105
1,985
1,888


Rate (%)
4.3
4.5
4.6
4.5
4.4


25-44 years
Discharges
149,264
141,725
136,119
126,247
118,456


Emergency readmissions
6,583
6,532
6,550
6,147
5,655


Rate (%)
4.4
4.6
4.8
4.9
4.8


45-64 years
Discharges
146,638
144,597
143,331
134,940
131,277


Emergency readmissions
6,658
7,050
7,056
6,808
6,584


Rate (%)
4.5
4.9
4.9
5.0
5.0


65 and over
Discharges
157,018
157,883
156,778
148,882
146,588


Emergency readmissions
9,886
10,259
10,436
10,366
10,080


Rate (%)
6.3
6.5
6.7
7.0
6.9


All Ages
Discharges
550,539
536,037
523,643
494,833
477,336


Emergency readmissions
26,838
27,414
27,553
26,709
25,560


Rate (%)
4.9
5.1
5.3
5.4
5.4



  28-Day Readmission Rate Following Discharge from a Medical Specialty in a Scottish Hospital; 1999-2003

  

 
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003


0-14 years
Discharges
49,692
48.640
49,088
50,089
53,170


Emergency readmissions
3,893
3,879
4,080
4,315
5,146


Rate
7.8
8.0
8.3
8.6
9.7


15-24 years
Discharges
21,776
21,923
22,127
21,218
19,823


Emergency readmissions
1,704
1,760
1,782
1,840
1,815


Rate
7.8
8.0
8.1
8.7
9.2


25-44 years
Discharges
75,307
76,420
76,685
74,295
67,972


Emergency readmissions
6,244
6,474
6,713
6,436
5,669


Rate
8.3
8.5
8.8
8.7
8.3


45-64 years
Discharges
136,990
140,930
142,309
139,876
136,273


Emergency readmissions
11,570
12,285
12,707
12,920
11,834


Rate
8.4
8.7
8.9
9.2
8.7


65 and over
Discharges
177,517
181,860
183,073
183,403
180,861


Emergency readmissions
21,338
21,955
23,242
23,094
22,195


Rate
12.0
12.1
12.7
12.6
12.3


All Ages
Discharges
461,282
469,773
473,282
468,881
458,099


Emergency readmissions
44,749
46,353
48,524
48,605
46,659


Rate
9.7
9.9
10.3
10.4
10.2



  Notes:

  1. These statistics are derived from data collected on discharges from non-obstetric and non-psychiatric hospitals (SMR01) in Scotland.

  2. The basic unit of analysis for these figures is a continuous stay in hospital. Probability matching methods have been used to link together individual SMR01 hospital episodes for each patient, thereby creating "linked" patient histories. Within these patient histories, SMR01 episodes are grouped according to whether they form part of a continuous inpatient spell of treatment (whether or not this involves transfer between hospitals or even health boards).

  3. Patients are counted as an emergency readmission if they are admitted as an emergency to any NHSScotland hospital for any diagnosis within 28 days of discharge from an index stay.

  4. Cases are excluded where the patient has died in hospital or has died within 28 days of discharge.

  5. Data for the calendar year 2003 is considered to be provisional.

  6. The indicator presented adopts a conventional approach that relies on the statistical circumstance that the distribution of the interval to emergency readmission forms a distinct peak in the days immediately following discharge. Readmissions fall away thereafter to approach the background level of admission. This suggests that there is a strong probability that readmissions in the period following discharge are in fact related to that discharge. The period of 28 days is to some extent arbitrary, but it has been widely adopted as maximising the trade off between including as many related readmissions as possible and excluding as many unrelated readmissions as possible.

  Over the past five years (1999-2003), there is no statistically significant difference* in the overall readmission rate, in Scotland, which is around 10% for medical specialties (e.g. cardiology, respiratory medicine etc) and around 5% for surgical specialties. (e.g. general surgery, orthopaedic surgery etc).

  (*The rate for medical specialties has risen by 0.5% and that for surgical specialties has both risen and fallen by small amounts over the five-year period.)

  For patients in the younger age groups ( 0 to 14 yrs and 15 to 24 yrs) readmissions in medical specialties show a slightly rising trend and this may be due to changes in the models of service where chronic disease, in children and young people, is increasingly treated in ambulatory centres and a child may have several short stays in hospital rather than one longer stay. This model of care is recommended by the Royal College of Paediatrics.

  The figures include readmissions within 28 days whether or not the readmission was related to the previous hospital episode. The period of 28 days is to some extent arbitrary, but it has been widely adopted as maximising the trade off between including as many related readmissions as possible and excluding as many unrelated readmissions as possible.

  Discharges and readmissions are matters for clinical judgement.

  Patients aged 65 and over are likely to have a higher readmission rate than younger patients, but the rates for older people have remained stable over five years. Cases of chronic illness contribute significantly to readmissions for older people and hospital admission may be deemed appropriate where a more suitable service in the community is not available. A target has been set to reduce the numbers of elderly people admitted more than twice a year. Multi-disciplinary teams have been created to provide a rapid response in the community where that is more appropriate than hospital admission. The teams include, for example, nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists and local authority staff such as social workers.

  "NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (QIS) : 2003 Clinical Outcomes Indicators Report", available on the web:

  http://www.nhshealthquality.org/nhsqis/files/Clinical%20Outcome%20Indicators%20Report.pdf contains detailed information on a range of indicators including emergency readmissions to hospital following surgery.

  Interpreting indicators such as readmission rates at hospital level is difficult, as any apparent variation may be due to a number of factors and no conclusions should immediately be drawn about quality/effectiveness of the services provided.

Health

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive from what date NHS Scotland was advised that funding for the anti-TNF drugs, etanercept and infliximab, should be made available to meet local clinical need.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS) (now part of NHS Quality Improvement Scotland) issued advice on the use of etanercept and infliximab on the following dates:

  17 May 2002 - Comment on the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Guidance number 35 on the use of etanercept for the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

  17 May 2002 - Comment on the NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number 36 on the use of etanercept and infliximab for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

  28 June 2002 - Comment on the NICE Technology Appraisal Guidance number 40 on the use of infliximab for Crohn’s disease.

  The comments can be accessed at www.nhshealthquality.org.

  On 12 July 2004, the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) issued advice to NHSScotland about the use of infliximab for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis in patients who have severe axial symptoms, elevated serological markers of inflammatory activity and who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy. On the same date, the SMC also advised on the use of etanercept for the treatment of active and progressive psoriatic arthritis in adults. The SMC advice can be accessed at www.scottishmedicines.org.

  In each case, the HTBS and the SMC advised that NHSScotland should take account of the advice and ensure that recommended drugs and treatments are made available to meet clinical need.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all patients with an assessed clinical need for podiatry will be provided with care and treatment free at the point of delivery.

Mr Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. As part of NHS service provision there is no charge to patients for NHS podiatry services.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that all patients receiving podiatric care are treated by appropriately-trained and clinically-competent staff.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS boards and operating divisions are responsibility for both clinical and staff governance. They must therefore ensure that all allied health professionals, including podiatrists, are registered to practice with the Health Professions Council and that they are appropriately trained.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether national waiting time targets will be set and monitored for podiatric care based upon assessed clinical need.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no plans to include podiatric care in the national waiting time targets.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans for patients requiring podiatric care to be able to self-refer to open access clinics.

Mr Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce emergency clinics for patients with acute foot problems.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no plans to introduce emergency clinics for patients with acute foot problems. The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop podiatry assistant or assistant practitioner-led clinics for (a) patients with specific foot health needs and (b) foot health education.

Mr Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

  The Allied Health Professions Officer in the Scottish Executive has commissioned a national consultation on Allied Health Professions role development, which includes podiatrists, and this is currently underway.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how patients gain access to podiatry care for the management of (a) gait and mobility problems and (b) musculo-skeletal disease.

Mr Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that patients suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are given access to early podiatric intervention to address the risks of developing severe deformities of the feet, ulceration and infection, on a similar basis to people with diabetes.

Mr Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services is a matter for NHS boards. The issue of access to NHS podiatry services is a matter for clinical decision in the light of the health needs of individual patients.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to develop extended roles, skills enhancement and access to a wider range of assessment tools to allow podiatrists to make a significant impact on prevention of lower-limb amputations.

Mr Andy Kerr: The planning and provision of NHS podiatry services are matters for NHS boards. The Allied Health Professions Officer in the Scottish Executive has commissioned a national consultation on Allied Health Professions role development, which includes podiatrists, and this is currently underway. The consultation will inform the development of a generic framework for role development.

Higher Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5563 by Mr Jack McConnell on 2 February 2004, what the outcome was of discussions between it and the Home Office regarding the best way of achieving Fresh Talent objectives within the United Kingdom’s work permit system.

Mr Tom McCabe: Discussions are on-going with the Home Office to explore possibilities open to Scotland within the work permit system and wider UK immigration policy. Areas of mutual interest include implementation of the Fresh Talent: Scotland Scheme. Under the scheme, international students from outside the European Economic Area who graduate from Scottish institutions will be allowed to live and work in Scotland for up to two years after graduation. We are also discussing ways in which we can promote Fresh Talent through UK schemes, such as the Highly Skilled Migrants Programme, which aim to assist those who wish to live and work in the UK. In addition, we are considering with Work Permits UK ways in which we can better promote the work permit system to Scottish employers.

Higher Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many students from the Asian sub-continent have applied to undertake Master of Business Administration (MBA) courses and higher education studies as part of the Fresh Talent Initiative.

Mr Jim Wallace: Scotland has been successful in attracting international students for a number of years. According to the most recent figures available, there were 7,486 students from Asia studying at Scottish higher education institutions in 2002-03. It is estimated that around 390 of those students were studying for the MBA qualification. The Fresh Talent initiative was launched in February 2004 and it is not possible to report on its impacts in relation to student recruitment at this stage.

Higher Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students from the Asian sub-continent will benefit from the Fresh Talent Initiative, broken down by country.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Fresh Talent Scotland Scheme, which will allow non European Economic Area graduates from Scottish higher education institutions to remain and work in Scotland for up to two years , comes into effect from summer 2005. It is not possible to determine how many students from Asia will benefit from the scheme at this time.

Higher Education

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas students have applied for extended visas to study in Scottish universities, broken down by university and country of application.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to UK immigration policy. UK Visas have confirmed that the information requested is not held centrally.

Housing

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords will be brought into effect.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 (Commencement and Savings) Order 2004 provisions of part 8 of the act (which introduces a national registration scheme for private landlords) which are not already in force will come into force on 15 November 2005. We expect some of the provisions to come into force before then in order to allow preparations to be made for the introduction of the scheme.

Housing

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what elements of accreditation are expected to be included in the National Registration Scheme for Private Landlords.

Malcolm Chisholm: Mandatory registration in terms of Part 8 of the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 provides for a "fit and proper person" test and for a list of houses that are let. Local schemes for the voluntary accreditation of landlords will build on registration by recognising the achievement of specific physical and management standards. A working group is currently developing regulations and guidance for registration and will aim to ensure that there is no duplication between registration and accreditation.

  The consultation document Maintaining Houses, Preserving Homes sought views on whether and how the forthcoming Housing Bill should include measures to strengthen registration. We will take account of the relationship between registration and accreditation when considering the outcome of the response to the consultation.

Housing

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications for consent to refuse to sell under section 69 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 it has (a) received and (b) granted in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table lists those local authorities which have submitted section 69 applications in the past three years, the number of applications received, and the number that obtained Scottish ministers’ consent.

  Survey Period: From October 2001 to October 2004

  

Local Authority 
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04


(a) Received
(b) Granted
(a) Received
(b) Granted
(a) Received
(b) Granted


Aberdeen City Council 
6
6
11
10
13
10


Aberdeenshire Council 
39
10
34
17
28
13


Clackmannanshire Council 
1
1
1
1
1
1


East Lothian Council
1
1
1
1
2
0


Edinburgh City Council
3
3
1
1
0
0


Falkirk Council
13
7
13
7
7
2


Midlothian Council
0
0
2
1
1
1


North Ayrshire Council 
10
4
13
11
23
18


Stirling Council 
20
5
22
13
5
1

Justice

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will respond to the McInnes Report on the review of summary justice.

Cathy Jamieson: We are currently considering how to take the report forward in the light of the responses to our consultation. We will make an announcement when this process is complete.

Justice

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what mechanisms it has available for collecting outstanding fines.

Cathy Jamieson: There are a number of measures available to the courts to enforce or encourage the payment of fines. These include giving an offender time to pay, arrangements for payment to be made by instalments, warning letters, citation to a means enquiry court, adjusting payment arrangements to suit the offender’s means, and the threat of imprisonment in default. Alternatives to imprisonment in default include recovery through civil diligence such as by arresting earnings and the facility to make deductions from income support or income based jobseekers allowance in appropriate circumstances. The use of supervised attendance orders as an alternative to imprisonment for fine default is also available.

Justice

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to collect outstanding fines.

Cathy Jamieson: Fine enforcement is a matter for the courts. I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-12013, on 19 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Livestock

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will now lift the Over Thirty Months scheme restrictions and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Ross Finnie: The advice from the Food Standards Agency in relation to beef from Over Thirty Months animals entering the food chain, and other relevant information relating to the control systems for testing livestock, is currently being considered by mnisters. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Medical Research

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to Scottish Enterprise in respect of its contact with, and role in supporting the work of, the Medical Research Council in Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has not issued any guidance to Scottish Enterprise in respect of the Medical Research Council in Scotland.

  The Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD), together with other UK Health Departments, collaborates with the Medical Research Council (MRC) through a formal cncordat which aims to develop and maintain an effective partnership for the promotion, funding and management of UK medical research.

NHS Funding

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was allocated to each NHS board in each of the last three years and how much funding has been allocated for each of the next three years, expressed also on a per capita basis.

Mr Andy Kerr: Details are as follow:

  

NHS Board
2001-02
Total
Allocation
(£ Million)
2001-02
Per
Capita
£
2002-03
Total
Allocation
(£ Million)
2002-03
Per
Capita
£
2003-04
Total
Allocation
(£ Million)
2003-04
Per
Capita
£
2004-05
Total
Allocation
(£ Million)
2004-05
Per
Capita
£


Argyll and Clyde
454.343
1,080
476.764
1,139
509.567
1,222
564.615
1,354


Ayrshire and Arran
386.696
1,050
412.956
1,125
446.036
1,215
496.343
1,352


Borders
111.389
1,042
117.69
1,096
127.071
1,174
141.848
1,310


Dumfries and Galloway
162.489
1,100
173.251
1,176
185.178
1,258
207.027
1,406


Fife 
334.372
956
358.873
1,009
382.916
1,088
427.666
1,215


Forth Valley 
276.361
990
294.722
1,055
312.759
1,118
342.25
1,224


Grampian
502.968
956
539.08
1,030
576.841
1,102
609.3
1,164


Greater Glasgow
1034.98
1,192
1118.24
1,291
1176.2
1,358
1273.03
1,469


Highland 
231.063
1,106
246.927
1,186
266.721
1,276
301.076
1,440


Lanarkshire
554.346
1,002
574.003
1,038
624.011
1,128
684.807
1,237


Lothian
771.94
991
775.075
995
886.27
1,136
920.438
1,180


Orkney
24.498
1,275
25.696
1,338
27.033
1,400
29.623
1,534


Shetland
28.239
1,286
30.974
1,412
33.308
1,523
34.162
1,562


Tayside
459.06
1,181
473.887
1,223
496.043
1,283
533.85
1,381


Western Isles
43.869
1,659
46.515
1,775
50.265
1,926
53.368
2,045



  Firm allocations for 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 have still to be finalised following the outcome of the 2004 Spending Review. NHS boards will be notified of firm allocations for 2005-06 in the near future.

NHS Staff

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many psychologists are employed in each NHS board, broken down by category and expressed also on a per capita basis, and what the average waiting times are for an appointment for each category of psychologist.

Mr Andy Kerr: The data on psychologists has been provided in the table below which is based on Whole Time Equivalent and is correct at 30 September 2003.

  Table 1 - Applied Psychologists by NHS Board (Whole-Time Equivalent (WTE) at 30 September 2003)

  

 
Clinical Psychologists Grade B
Clinical Psychologists Grade A
Other Applied Psychologists(*)
Total WTE of All Applied Psychologists
Ratio of per capita population to 1 WTE of All Applied Psychologists


Argyll and Clyde
9.7
11.8
2.5
25.0
16 919


Ayrshire and Arran
10.6
7.3
1.8
19.7
18 879


Borders
4.1
4.1
1.0
9.2
11 875


Dumfries and Galloway
7.2
3.6
1.0
11.8
12 719


Fife
16.1
18.5
4.0
38.6
9 205


Forth Valley
11.2
9.8
0.0
21.0
13 429


Grampian
8.8
21.9
4.4
35.0
15 091


Greater Glasgow
33.4
39.8
2.1
75.3
11 627


Highland
4.8
7.3
1.0
13.1
16 075


Lanarkshire
10.1
15.7
3.7
29.5
18 949


Lothian
24.4
30.2
5.2
59.9
13 145


State Hospital
1.2
4.0
1.0
6.2
not relevant


Tayside
11.0
16.0
0.0
27.0
14 507


Scotland
152.5
191.0
27.7
371.0
13 633



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes *"Other Applied Psychologists" include Counselling Psychologists, Health Psychologists, Forensic Psychologists and Neuropsychologists.

  Information on waiting times for an appointment with a psychologist is not available centrally.

National Health Service

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a no fault compensation scheme for NHS patients who suffer medical accidents.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are currently no plans to introduce a no fault compensation scheme for NHS patients who suffer medical accidents.

  In 2002, in response to the reports published earlier that year by the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Executive established an expert group, under the chairmanship of Lord Ross, to look at compensation arrangements for patients injured by NHSScotland. Following careful consideration, the group decided not to recommend the introduction of a general no fault compensation scheme as it felt the advantages of no fault compensation were out-weighed by the disadvantage that such a system tends not to encourage improvements in quality of care as a result of the lessons learned.

  The report by the Expert Group on Financial and Other Support, was published in March 2003 and can be found at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/egfs-00.asp.

Planning

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to prevent duplicate planning applications with minor alterations from being submitted following the rejection of an original application by a local authority.

Johann Lamont: Planning legislation aims to strike a balance between allowing an applicant to submit a revised application where they may have made a genuine attempt to take into account objections to a previous proposal or if there has been a change in circumstances, and preventing applicants from using repeat applications to wear down the resistance of local communities.

  Section 39(1) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 therefore gives planning authorities the power to decline to determine applications for planning permission if, within the previous two years the development proposal was subject to refusal of planning permission by the Scottish ministers and in the opinion of the planning authority there has been no significant change since that refusal.

  As part of our work on modernising the planning system, we will consider whether this section needs to be amended in the context of a future planning bill.

Prisoner Escorts

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the protocol between it and the Scottish Trades Union Congress on pay and conditions for privatised projects applies to the Reliance contract.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No.

Public Appointments

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what process was followed in the recent appointment of the Chief Executive of Historic Scotland.

Tom McCabe: The appointment of the current Chief Executive of Historic Scotland was made through internal Scottish Executive Senior Civil Service assignment.

Rail Network

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local rail services between Edinburgh, Dunbar and Berwick will be established during the current ScotRail franchise.

Nicol Stephen: The franchise agreement includes a mechanism that can allow new services to be introduced to help deliver future plans for the Scottish network, and the Executive is always willing to consider transport proposals which have the support of the relevant local authority or regional transport partnership. Any such proposal should have been developed using the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance and the delivery of the proposal will also be subject to the availability of appropriate resources.

Rail Network

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local rail services between Dundee and Arbroath will be improved under the current ScotRail franchise.

Nicol Stephen: The Arbroath to Dundee services will benefit from the significant enhancements offered by the new franchise. Benefits will include improved performance year on year, a national £40 million capital investment programme, including station enhancements, improved security through CCTV investment on trains and in stations and improved cleaning and maintenance standards.

Rail Network

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to re-establish passenger rail services to Grangemouth.

Nicol Stephen: Proposals and the business case for new local services or re-opened stations are best promoted, in the first instance, by the relevant local authority or regional transport partnership. No such proposals have been put to the Executive in respect of re-establishing passenger services to Grangemouth. The Scotrail franchise agreement includes a mechanism that can allow new services to be introduced to help deliver future plans for the Scottish network.

Rail Network

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will place a copy of the franchise agreement and all contract documents granted by it in favour of First Group for the former ScotRail franchise in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Nicol Stephen: Under the provisions of the Railways Act 1993, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) are under a duty to publish every franchise agreement in a public register. However, before publication can take place the SRA and the Secretary of State for Transport are required, under the terms of the 1993 Act, to examine the need for excluding matters from the public register version which would be against the interests, including commercial interests, of any person or body if they were published. In the case of the ScotRail franchise, this involves discussions between First ScotRail, the SRA, the Secretary of State for Transport and the Scottish Executive.

  Once the statutory process is complete and the ScotRail franchise agreement is placed in the SRA’s public register, copies of this will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Rail Network

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with First Group plc regarding the possible reopening of Laurencekirk Station.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive has had no discussion with First Group plc, regarding the possible reopening of Laurencekirk Station. However, officials met with Aberdeenshire Council on 30 September 2004, to discuss the proposals for reopening the station.

Rail Network

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it would expect to see improvements in the ScotRail service following the award of the new franchise to First Group plc.

Nicol Stephen: Service improvements from the new Franchise began with its launch on 17 October 2004. For example, early improvements include higher standards of cleaning of stations and trains, additional ticket inspectors to be in place by the beginning of December and improved customer communications.

  Longer term improvements for passengers will be derived from a £40 million rolling programme of investment throughout the life of the Franchise. This includes £20 million scheduled for station upgrades, more than 90 extra customer liaison staff and the rolling out of CCTV on trains across Scotland.

  First ScotRail is also required, by the terms of the franchise agreement, to deliver a 2% year-on-year improvement in train reliability over the term of the franchise.

Rail Network

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what savings have been derived from the erection of ticket barriers in railway stations as part of the ScotRail franchise.

Nicol Stephen: The introduction of automatic ticket barriers at Waverley, Haymarket and Queen Street stations is expected to increase revenues by around £1.5 million per year.

Rail Network

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of any savings made from the ScotRail franchise will be reinvested in the service.

Nicol Stephen: All actions to increase franchise revenues will decrease the overall public subsidy requirement and increase capacity for funding franchise operations.

Rail Network

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what targets have been set in the ScotRail franchise for the punctuality of trains.

Nicol Stephen: The franchise agreement contains targets for punctuality, which divides the train fleet into eight service groups. There are targets for each of these groups, based on minutes lateness of trains. Information on lateness is gathered and reported on at least monthly.

  The franchise agreement requires the operator to provide a punctual service by prescribing a maximum number of "minutes late" which is permitted during any four week period. Where the operator exceeds the permitted minutes late, a financial penalty may be imposed. Conversely, an incentive payment may be made if the operator does not exceed the permitted minutes late.

  In addition, the minutes late target is to be tightened by 2% year-on-year throughout the life of the franchise.

Rail Network

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new ScotRail franchise distinguishes the reliability of commuter trains from other train services.

Nicol Stephen: Yes. Performance is monitored across a number of discreet service groups including suburban, express, peak and off peak services.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to develop biofuels and what funds it has allocated for this purpose.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive supports the UK’s Powering Future Vehicles strategy which aims to promote the development and take-up of new vehicle technologies and cleaner fuels, including biofuels . The Executive is represented on the Ministerial Low Carbon Group which oversees the implementation of the strategy. In addition, the Executive is supporting, through a £1.2 million Regional Selective Assistance grant, the building of Scotland’s first large-scale biodiesel production plant. It is anticipated that this development will lead to an increase in the number of outlets selling biodiesel in Scotland.

Renewable Energy

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to develop biomass and what funds it has allocated for this purpose.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer that I gave to question number S2W-11676 on 8 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search. We have not allocated any specific level of funding for developing biomass.

Renewable Energy

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change its policy on when it will intervene on wind farm applications where there is substantial local opposition.

Johann Lamont: None. National Planning Policy Guideline 6: Renewable Energy Developments  sets out the issues that planning authorities should take into account when dealing with planning applications. Authorities must consider any comments made by local communities before an application is determined.

Research

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10835 by Lewis Macdonald on 26 October 2004, whether it will respond with reference to the specific research referred to in the question and whether it will acknowledge that the visiting group report of the Research Organisation Assessment Exercise (ROAE) noted that, against a background of a significant shift in the emphasis of research, research at the Hannah Research Institute achieved a high national rating.

Lewis Macdonald: The visiting group undertaking the ROAE at the Hannah Research Institute assessed three programmes of research which were: Life and Death of the Cell, Lifestyle Metabolism and Health and CHARIS Food Research. The areas of research referred to in S2W-10835 were not specifically identified and assessed by the visiting group, although most of them formed part of one or other of these three research programmes.

  The visiting group report noted that the overall quality of the research at the Hannah Research Institute was of a high national standing, but that, while the overall quality of science undertaken there was good, there was room for improvement.

School Transport

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to allow local authorities to spend a portion of the additional funding, announced on 4 November 2004 for safety-related school transport projects, on precautionary winter gritting of school bus routes.

Nicol Stephen: The additional capital funding being made available by the Executive to local authorities is for the introduction of 20 mph speed limits around schools, safer routes to school projects and the development of home zones. This specific additional funding does not cover the gritting of roads.

  Non-trunk roads are the responsibility of the local authorities concerned, and their funding forms part of the general Local Government Finance Settlement. It is entirely a matter for individual authorities to decide what priority should be given to the maintenance and improvement, including gritting, of each road for which they are responsible.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, further to the evidence given by the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services to the meeting of the Finance Committee on 13 January 2004 on figures supplied by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) indicating that the total cost estimated at that time of the relocation of the headquarters of SNH to Inverness would be around £22 million ( Official Report col. 788), it can now provide an updated estimate of the cost of relocation.

Lewis Macdonald: In his reply to parliamentary question S2W-9565 answered on 21 July 2004, Allan Wilson indicated that a revised version of the project plan would be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre once the cost information of the human resource (HR) package and building elements were firmed up. This remains the position.

  SNH is currently undertaking a staff survey to guide the estimation of costs relating to the HR elements of the project plan and is finalising discussions with Robertson Group on detailed elements of the tender for the new HQ building. It is expected that the results of the staff survey will be available in early December. The revised project plan with cost estimates will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre as soon as possible thereafter.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event that ministerial directions regarding the relocation of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) are withdrawn and that the policy of relocation of the headquarters of SNH to Inverness does not go ahead, what legal liability there would be at this stage to make any payments to staff in respect of the relocation and, in particular, whether there would be any legal liability to the chosen preferred bidder, the Robertson Group and, if so, what its estimate would be of such costs to that company and any other general costs in the event that the relocation did not go ahead.

Lewis Macdonald: There is no intention to withdraw the ministerial direction and SNH are proceeding with the relocation project in accordance with the project plan. SNH is responsible for the management of all aspects of the project including financial and contractual arrangements with its staff and external suppliers.

Swimming Pools

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many 50-metre competition-standard swimming pools there are in Scotland and where they are located.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: There are four 50-metre swimming pools in Scotland of which two meet the depth requirements of competition-standard pools. They are located at the Tollcross Leisure Centre in Glasgow and the National Swimming Academy in Stirling. The latter is used primarily as a training facility.

Swimming Pools

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as part of its regional sports development strategy, it has any plans to support the provision of 50-metre competition-standard swimming pools and, if so, where such pools would be located and how they would be supported.

Ms Patricia Ferguson: Of the 10 successful bids made under the national and regional sports facilities strategy, one included provision for a 50-metre competition-standard swimming pool. That was by the City of Edinburgh Council who were allocated £4 million towards the upgrading of the Royal Commonwealth Pool, a national facility, to bring it and its diving pool up to competition standard.

Timber Industry

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much, and what percentage of, timber was imported in the last three years.

Lewis Macdonald: Figures are not available for Scotland. However, the latest UK figures indicate that the total timber import figures were 10.9 million cubic metres in 2001, 11.4 million cubic metres in 2002 and 12.2 million cubic metres in 2003. These figures cover sawnwood and woodbased panels.

  Imports of all wood products as a percentage of total consumption (production and imports) represent 65% in 2001, 66% in 2002 and 67% in 2003.

Water Charges

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1660 by Sarah Boyack on 11 May 2000, whether it will introduce a water service charge discount scheme aligned to the existing council tax benefit scheme and, if it has no plans to introduce such a scheme, whether it is considering reducing the impact on the low-paid and those on benefits, as indicated in that answer.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has consulted on the possibility of introducing a new discount on water charges for households receiving council tax benefit. The consultation has now closed. We are considering responses to the proposal and expect to make an announcement in January.

Wildlife

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many control (a) agreements under section 7 and (b) schemes under section 8 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 have been made since 1 January 2002 and, of these, how many are still in operation.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally and I have asked the Director of the Deer Commission for Scotland to respond to you. A copy of the response shall be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Wildlife

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deer were killed in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003 (i) under control agreements made under section 7, (ii) under control schemes made under section 8, (iii) as part of emergency measures taken under sections 10 and 11 and (iv) by occupiers or persons authorised by occupiers acting under section 26 of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally and I have asked the Director of the Deer Commission for Scotland to respond to you. A copy of the response shall be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Wildlife

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking research into means of avoiding damage by deer to woodland, agricultural production of crops or livestock that do not involve the taking or killing of deer.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive funds an ongoing research programme of about £600,000 per annum on sustainable deer management. The research includes developing a decision support tool for management of deer in woodlands as an aid to native woodland regeneration.

  In addition the Deer Commission has a deer research programme and I have asked the director to write to you with details.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Contracts

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what fair trade products are available at Holyrood and what the origin is of those products.

John Scott (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The fair trade products listed below are currently used by our contract caterers throughout the Parliament complex.

  

Product
Point of Origin


Coffee 
Mexico and Peru


Tea 
East Africa 


Orange Juice (used for Hospitality)
Cuba 



  Fair Trade chocolate was offered for a short period following the move to Holyrood but proved to be largely unsuccessful.

  The SPCB is committed to increasing the availability of fair trade products, where possible, and our contract caterers have given a commitment to work with the SPCB to encourage customer uptake of fairly traded produce. In addition, our Procurement department are developing a Responsible Purchasing initiative which will ensure fair trade issues are embedded in the way we procure goods and manage contracts.